


You and I Will Never Happen

by StereKDestiel



Series: War Zone [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-19
Updated: 2012-05-22
Packaged: 2017-11-05 15:38:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/408115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StereKDestiel/pseuds/StereKDestiel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles makes a move. Derek shoots him down. Viciously. Stiles runs away and gets himself kidnapped by a werewolf pack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Rejection

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first story of a series.

Tears spilled over and swam across Stiles’ cheeks. He made no attempt to wipe them away. He didn’t even notice them. The words kept repeating themselves. Over and over again.  
  
 _You’re too young. You know nothing about love. You and I will never happen._  
  
Stiles stumbled over a branch. He was able to stay on his feet, with help of his hands. Dried leaf pieces clung against his palm, attracted to the sweat. Stiles marched on, putting one foot after the other.   
  
_You’re too young._  
  
Stiles’ phone rang. It was Scott. He was supposed to meet Scott at his place for a project an hour ago. Oh well. He stared at the phone until it stopped ringing, drunk on emotional pain. Somehow, his feet started moving again. Slowly. A few steps later, his phone buzzed again. It was a text message from Derek.  
  
 _You know nothing about love._   
  
Stiles didn’t even bother reading it. “FUCK YOU,” he screamed, throwing the phone away and wincing when he heard the phone smash against a tree. He inhaled sharply and a great sigh came out. Fresh tears emerged and joined the streams.  
  
Stiles had no idea where he was. After Derek slammed him against that wall and shit all over his heart, Stiles just ran out. He left behind his jeep. He didn’t follow a trail. He just kept running, trying to run away from his tears. This part of the forest, he had never seen before. He was lost.  
  
He couldn't care less.  
  
 _You and I will never happen._  
  
Stiles was really sure Derek felt the same way he did. He caught Derek staring at his lips whenever he’d slam him against a wall. He could see the desire in Derek’s eyes. Or was he just projecting his feelings?   
  
That’s what hurt the most. Being wrong.   
  
Stiles gave up his already-utterly-failed attempt to run from his tears. He collapsed against a tree and buried his head in his arms.  
  
 _You and I will never happen._  
  
Wanting Derek from afar wasn’t such a big deal. While Stiles’ feelings for Derek were stronger than the ones he had for Lydia, he thought he could handle it. If he was able to deal with a crush on Lydia since the third grade, he’d be able to deal with a crush on Derek. No big deal. Until he noticed Derek might share his feelings. That never happened with Lydia, not even at the dance.  
  
Stiles put himself out there. He took a risk and was crushed mercilessly for it.   
  
_You and I will never happen._  
  
A distinct werewolf smell snuck into Stiles’ nose.  He looked up and saw a huge wolf standing in front of him, his teeth bared and his eyes glowing ultraviolet purple.  
  
“Fuck off, Derek,” Stiles growled. He pulled his knees together and hid his head in between. He really didn’t want to see that asshole’s purple eyes.  
  
Wait.  
  
His eyes aren’t purple. They’re...  
  
A paw slammed at Stiles’ head when he looked up to double-check the color.  
  
Stiles blacked out before his head hit the dirt.  
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Derek sat down on his couch and sighed.   
  
Derek knew he had been too harsh on Stiles, but it was necessary. Stiles was far too young. He knew from personal experience what it could mean, falling for someone much older than you. It never ends well.    
  
Still, Derek hadn’t expected the amount of pain that poured out of Stiles as he ran from his ruin of a home. He had known that Stiles was attracted to him, he knew the moment he smelt his and Danny’s arousal in Stiles’ bedroom when Stiles had him change shirts for Danny’s amusement.    
  
He didn’t realize Stiles’ infatuation had gone that far. Then again, Stiles is just a sixteen year old boy.   
  
This was Derek’s fault. His wolf had identified several potential mates and for some reason, one of them was Stiles. The strongest possibility, in fact. Derek refused to accept that however; not just because it was wrong, but because it’s also illegal. Derek has had plenty of trouble with the law lately; fucking the sheriff’s underage son wasn’t going help.    
  
Just because Derek said no didn’t mean his wolf had given up, though. His wolf liked slamming Stiles into walls and getting into his personal space. He would take in a deep inhale of Stiles’ scent when nobody was looking. Or so he thought.    
  
They were alone, the pack dissipated after the meeting had ended. Stiles had offered to cook dinner for Derek (he cannot cook), and Derek accepted. Stiles’ a very good cook. That was the reason he said okay, Derek convinced himself.   
  
After dinner was over, Derek picked up his and Stiles’ plates and headed for the sink. As Derek walked past Stiles, he couldn’t help but lean down and take a sniff of his aroma. Stiles turned and caught him red-handed. Rarely did Derek feel embarrassed, but this was one of those moments. He quickened his pace and dumped the dishes into the sink.   
  
“You know, you keep doing that... might turn someone on,” Stiles teased, standing behind him. Derek rolled his eyes, but his wolf perked up. Stiles reached out and placed his hand on Derek's back. Derek whipped around and pushed Stiles against the wall. His eyes narrowed and flashed crimson red, and a deep growl rumbled in his chest. Then, Stiles kissed him. And Derek made the biggest mistake of his life.    
  
He kissed back.   
  
When Stiles’ lips brushed against his, Derek was taken aback, but his wolf was not. For the first time in his adult life, the wolf took over. Derek moaned into Stiles’ lips and spread them open with his tongue and explored the cavern that was Stiles’ mouth.   
  
_No, damn it, Derek. You imbecile._   
  
Cursing his momentary lapse, Derek pushed off Stiles and his eyes flashed crimson in anger. “No, this can’t happen,” Derek growled.   
  
Stiles pouted, “Why not? You want it, I can tell. Even without werewolfy superpowers. And obviously you know I want it.”   
  
“You’re just a sixteen year old boy,” Derek snapped. “You’re too young.”   
  
“That’s bullshit, how old were you when you hooked up with Kate?”   
  
Derek grabbed Stiles' throat and slammed him against the wall again. “You know _nothing_ about love,” roared Derek, barely suppressing his anger, his claw biting into Stiles' neck. “Nobody does at that age.”   
  
Stiles’ brow furrowed as his scent started to change. The arousal was gone, replaced by fear. A different kind of fear. Derek didn’t recognize this scent.   
  
“D-Derek--”   
  
“Let’s get something clear right now,” Derek deadpanned. “You and I will _never_ happen.”   
  
It wasn’t fear that he was smelling, Derek realized. At least, not just fear. Fear and pain. Mostly pain.   
  
Stiles’ eyes watered and he ran out before any of them could spill over. Derek watched him pull open the door and disappear from sight.    
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Stiles was vaguely aware that he was waking up. He could hear voices, but recognized none. The room was dark and empty. He tried to move but couldn’t because he was hanging from a rope by his hands. Naked.   
  
A door opened and Stiles saw nothing but a bright light. Shadowy figures passed through the light and came toward him. One of them was carrying something that sloshed. It looked like a bucket.   
  
The woman with the bucket pulled it up and dumped it on Stiles’ head. The sheer coldness pulled Stiles into reality completely.   
  
“Jesus fuck, that was not necessary,” whined Stiles.   
  
“I apologize for the rough treatment you’ve received,” someone said. “We thought you were a werewolf. You certainly smell like one.” A slender man came forward. He was neither tall nor dark, but he was handsome. He kept his dirty blond hair short and sported a thin beard.    
  
“So. Care to explain why you smell like a werewolf?”   
  
“Uhh... none of your business,” Stiles offered as an explanation. The man just laughed.  He pulled out a chair from nowhere and sat down on it, front of Stiles.   
  
“Hey dude, how about covering me up? I’m sixteen, you know. This is pedophilia. My father’s the sheriff, he’ll cut off all of your balls. Wait, you’re not the werepedobear pack, are you?”   
  
The man’s mouth twisted into a sly smile. “Well, I guess I don’t have to ask you what your name is. Stilinski. Would that be fine with you, or would you prefer another name?”   
  
_Shit, I need to shut up._ “Stiles is fine.”   
  
“Stiles? I do hope that’s a nickname. Stiles, I’m Joseph Alcott, and this is my pack,” the man said and in unison, the eyes of his pack members glowed. Stiles saw a lot of colors.   
  
“Oh look at that! Pretty eyes. Do you guys call yourselves the Rainbow Pack?”   
  
A werewolf or two growled, but Joseph just laughed. “What an interesting... _human_ to keep in a pack. You are in a pack, correct?”   
  
“None of your business,” Stiles repeated.    
  
“Oh, come on, Stiles. You should talk to us. My beta here,” Joseph gestured to a scruffy man with long hair and a stern look on his face, “likes torturing other werewolves. Considering you’re human, I don’t think it would be too pleasant for you. I don’t want to do this.”   
  
Stiles laughed. “Like you actually give a shit. Let’s just skip the mr-nice-guy bullshit. The fact you have me chained up here like a prisoner tells me everything I need to know about you.”   
  
Joseph frowned. “Very well, as you wish.” He got up and left, the rest of his pack following him except for the long-haired man. He went in the opposite direction and dragged a cart down to where Stiles was dangling. Knives of various sizes and shapes decorated the counter, among other things.   
  
_Fuck._   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Derek’s phone rang. It was Scott.   
  
“Where’s Stiles? He’s supposed to be here, working on our project.”   
  
“I don’t know,” Derek replied. He thought about what had just happened earlier with Stiles. The image of him running away was still fresh in his mind.    
  
“Just call him, Scott.”   
  
“I did. I don’t think his phone’s working, it just goes straight to voicemail. It must be dead or something.”   
  
Derek sighed. He kept seeing Stiles run out of his door, over and over again. Running out and climbing into his jeep and... wait a minute. He didn’t remember hearing the jeep engine turn on, so he walked to the window and peered out.   
  
The jeep was still parked behind his Camaro.   
  
“Fuck. His jeep is still here. I’ll track his scent and see if I can find him.” Derek hung up before Scott could say anything and sighed. He put on his leather jacket and went out the front door. He picked up Stiles’ scent and went off after it.    
  
Tracking Stiles’ scent wasn’t hard because it was everywhere. Derek could smell his tears, his anger, his despair, but most of all, his pain. There was so much of it, it overwhelmed Derek. Far too much for a sixteen year old kid. He followed the trail for a while, realizing just how far Stiles had run.    
  
Derek really fucked up. He should have found a better way to handle this situation. He’s been so out of touch with the rest of humanity, he just forgot how to deal with people, especially teenagers. Regret began to fill his heart, but he pushed it aside. Not the time for that.   
  
After a couple of hours, Derek finally came across Stiles’ cell phone. He frowned, knelt over to pick it up and looked it over. It was in several pieces, obviously having been thrown against a tree. “Shit, Stiles. What did I do?” He got up and took a deep inhale through his nose and froze.   
  
Stiles wasn’t alone. Werewolves. Several. Fuck. Derek looked for the spot where Stiles and the werewolves’ scents met and he found a few drops of blood glistening on the ground. He sniffed it, and yes, they were Stiles’ blood.   
  
He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Scott’s number. It was two in the morning, but Scott answered quickly.   
  
“Did you find him?”   
  
“No. I found his cell phone. I also found several scents that don’t belong to him -- they belong to other werewolves. They have him. Call Danny, get him to track the GPS on my phone, and get everyone else and meet me wherever I am. I’m going to track them and find Stiles.”   
  
“Oh fuck. Okay, I’m calling now.” Scott said and hung up on Derek.   
  
_Please be okay_ , Derek prayed and followed the scent.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The good news was, the long-haired man hadn’t used any of the torture tools from the cart on Stiles yet. The bad news was, his fists weren’t from the cart.   
  
“Urghhhh,” groaned Stiles as the long-haired man’s left fist thumped against his ribs. “Fuck you,” he gasped. “I’m not saying anything.”   
  
The long-haired man frowned and left the room, leaving Stiles alone.   
  
_Not sure how much more I can take. Not the first time, but I really wish I was a werewolf right now. Fuck you Derek and Scott and Jackson and Lydia. Mostly you, Derek. Fuck all of your healing abilities._   
  
Stiles didn’t bother trying to wiggle out of his prison; the pain was too much and the fists had sent him swinging plenty of times. The ropes didn’t budge. Also, massive rope burn.    
  
_Scott, I’m sorry I didn’t go to your place. Please, find me._   
  
A few minutes later, the long-haired man and Joseph came into the room. Joseph glanced over Stiles’ body, taking note of the bruises that had already formed across his chest.   
  
“And he hasn’t said anything?”   
  
“No, nothing,” the long-haired man answered.    
  
“What questions have you been asking?”   
  
“The usual ones.”   
  
“Hmm,” Joseph pondered. “Stiles, you really should cooperate. You look terrible.”   
  
“And who’s fault is that?” Stiles sneered. Joseph cocked his head and studied Stiles. “You’re not going anywhere any time soon. Cooperating would serve you the best.”   
  
“My pack will be here soon. You all will be dead.”   
  
Joseph laughed. “No, we won’t be. I can smell three, maybe four distinct werewolves on you. You’ve got a very small pack. We have more than three times your numbers. If your pack comes, they’ll be committing suicide.”   
  
Stiles just glared.   
  
“Cut him down,” Joseph ordered. Instead of hanging by a rope, Stiles now found himself handcuffed and bound to a steel chair. A really cold chair.   
  
“Is that more comfortable?”   
  
“No,” Stiles said, his tone submerged in sarcasm. “I definitely liked the hanging by my hands much better.”   
  
Joseph shook his head and smirked. “So, Stiles. Who’s Derek?” No reply. “Derek Hale, maybe? I remember there being a young Derek from the Hales. I thought they all died, though.”   
  
“Go fuck yourself.”   
  
Joseph sighed. “Okay, it can’t be helped then. Maybe some bruises on your face will help you change your mind, Stiles.”   
  
The long-haired man stepped in front of Joseph and balled his hands into fists. It took only a single punch for Stiles to black out.   
  
_You and I will never happen._   
  
“Take it easy, Bill. He’s not a werewolf, remember?”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Derek crouched behind a tree downwind, glaring at the house where the scent had taken him. There was far too many overlapping scents -- at least ten werewolves. Maybe more. There’s no way Derek, Jackson, Lydia, and Scott could take them all on and win. They needed help.  
  
Derek backed away from the house slowly until he was far enough to make a phone call. He called Scott again.  
  
“Where are you guys?”  
  
“We’re about two miles from your location. We’re almost there.”  
  
“Stay there. I’ll find you.”  
  
“But --”  
  
“No arguments,” Derek snapped and closed the cell phone. He searched for their scent, found it and tracked until he found them.  
  
“What’s going on?” Scott asked.  
  
Derek sighed. “I don’t know. A pack took him to their place. It’s a house a few miles from here. I smelt at least ten werewolves, maybe more. We can’t get him back on our own. We’re going to need help.”  
  
“Fuck,” Jackson growled. “How? The only people who can help us are the Argents, and I’d probably trust the other pack more than I trust the Argents. Other than you, of course, Allison.”  
  
Allison gave him a pained smile. “Yeah, I get it. We don’t have a choice, do we, though?” When nobody replied, she added, “Thought so. I’ll call Dad.” She pulled her phone out and stepped away from the impromptu huddle.   
  
“Shouldn’t we just, I don’t know, knock on the door?” Danny asked.  
  
“No. They can smell us on him. They know he’s a part of a pack. They took him anyway. I found some drops of Stiles’ blood in the woods. I’m very sure Stiles is there against his wishes.”  
  
“What the hell was he doing way out there anyway?” Lydia questioned Derek.  
  
Derek shifted his eyes, unsure how to answer that question. He sighed and began to talk, but was interrupted by Lydia, “What the fuck did you do, Derek?”  
  
“We... had an argument.”  
  
“That’s all you’re going to tell us? An 'argument' does not make someone run off miles into the woods in the middle of the night. What happened?”  
  
“That’s between him and me.”  
  
“Bullshit! Whatever happened affects all of us. Your argument is what got Stiles kidnapped and us involved. We need to know what’s going on,” Lydia demanded.  
  
Derek rubbed his forehead and sighed. “I made a mistake. Stiles... he kissed me, and my reaction was not exactly what he was looking for.”  
  
“Details. Now,” demanded Danny. Derek looked at the newest member of the pack in bewilderment. "I’m not sure how details are necessary right now.”  
  
Danny’s eyes hardened. “Stiles has been talking to me for a while now about his feelings for you. He told me that he expected you to reject him, but Lydia and I told him you wouldn’t. We know you like him too, so what the hell did you do?”  
  
Derek groaned. “Like I said, he kissed me. It caught me off guard, so my wolf took over for a few seconds... so, I kissed him back. Then I stopped it, and I told him that it could never happen again. I might have been a little more harsh than I intended to, but that was because I was angry at myself for letting it happen.”  
  
Lydia rolled her eyes as Allison walked back to the huddle, announcing that her dad was on his way with her mother and a few other hunters. Derek nodded. After nobody said anything for a while, Lydia said, “Derek. Why did you reject him? We all know you guys are into each other, what’s your problem?”  
  
“He’s too young. He needs time to grow, to experience life --”  
  
“That’s such a bullshit excuse,” Danny snarled. Jackson and Scott just kept quiet and gestured for Allison to stay quiet, who looked lost. Lydia gave out a barking laugh. “Oh you fucking idiot. It’s because of Kate, isn’t it?”  
  
“What? No, it’s not--”  
  
“Don’t lie to me. We can hear your heartbeat, remember? You _idiot_ ,” Lydia growled. “Are you afraid of hurting Stiles? Is that it?”  
  
Derek clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth.   
  
“So what, you think you’re Kate? You think you’re going to destroy Stiles’ life?”  
  
“No, of course not,” Derek answered. “It’s just--”  
  
“No. There’s no ‘just,’ you’re not a psychopath like Kate was -- sorry, Allison,” Lydia commented and Allison just nodded. “You’re a good guy. You’re not going to burn down Stiles’ house. You’re not going to toy with his feelings. He’s your fucking _mate_ , isn’t he?”  
  
“What? How did you know?”  
  
Jackson laughed. “Seriously, Derek? It’s kind of obvious. You treat him a lot differently than you do the rest of us. He’s always the first one you’re concerned about.”  
  
“Well, yeah, that’s because he’s a human, he can’t heal like us.”  
  
“Neither can Danny nor Allison,” Lydia added. “Stiles’ still your priority. We’ve all known for a while now, except Stiles of course. That clueless idiot thinks you’d prefer rip his throat apart than kiss him, and I guess you proved that.   
  
“His age is not a valid reason for you to push him away. You’re afraid. You’re still stuck on Kate. You haven’t moved on, and you’re projecting your fears onto Stiles. That’s not fucking fair to him.”  
  
Derek stammered, trying to say something, but gave up. This was the first time he ever found himself speechless. Sure, he didn’t talk much, but that was by choice. He wanted to say something now, but no words came to him.  
  
“Stiles deserves better than that,” Scott said. “I know I’ve been neglecting him a bit since I met Allison, and I feel bad. He doesn’t deserve that. He’s been there for me every time I’ve needed him. And he’s been there for you every time you needed him. We would have never been able to kill Peter if he and Jackson didn’t show up and light Peter up. He missed his first game as a first stringer to help you.”  
  
“He needs you now,” Lydia said. “You better do the right thing here now, or I swear to god, I will kill you.”  
  
The look in Lydia’s eyes meant business, Derek realized. Maybe she was right. Maybe... maybe he was being an idiot.


	2. The Interrogation

Groaning, Stiles’ eyes creaked open. He lifted his head and looked into the long-haired man’s eyes. He grinned.   
  
“Welcome back, sunshine. Would you like some water?”  
  
Stiles nodded.  
  
“Too bad. You won’t cooperate, so why should you be rewarded?”  
  
 _Valid point._ Stiles grunted. The long-haired man sat on the chair, his arms resting on the top of the seat back. He laid his head on his arms and asked, “So, is Derek Hale your Alpha?”  
  
Stiles replied, “No. My alpha is... you might know him. His name is Michael J. Fox? Know him?”  
  
The long-haired man smiles a creepy smile, missing a tooth or two. He picks up a water bottle and brings it to Stiles’ lips, pouring water into his mouth. Stiles greedily gulped it all up, taking pleasure from the cold water that dribbled from the corner of his lips and down his chest. The door flew open and Joseph came in, his eyes hard.  
  
“Stop that you idiot,” he yelled. The long-haired man quickly pulled the bottle away from Stiles and cast a questioning look. “You fucking fool. Michael J. Fox is the guy who played in that old movie, _Teen Wolf._ ”  
  
Rage boiled through the long-haired man and his eyes glowed emerald green. His fists grew harder and he swung one across Stiles’ cheek. Blood flew from Stiles’ mouth and splattered onto the cart.  
  
“I can’t believe you fell for that,” complained Joseph. “Get out. I’ll talk to him myself.”  
  
Stiles grinned, watching the long-haired man leave the room, his head bent low. Joseph sat down in the chair that was recently evacuated.   
  
“That was clever, Stiles. Clever, but very stupid.”  
  
“Thank you,” Stiles boasted.  
  
“How’d you do it?”  
  
“Do what?”  
  
“Keep your heartbeat steady when you lie.”  
  
Stiles’ lips curved into a mischievous smile. He said nothing.  
  
“Why do you refuse to talk? You’re not a werewolf. And judging from the state we found you in, you weren’t exactly getting along with them.”  
  
“Got a point?”  
  
Joseph frowned. “I just don’t understand why you’re taking this abuse. You don’t need to. I don’t want to hurt your pack. I just want to --”  
  
Stiles’ laughter interrupted him, despite the pain that shot through his chest. “You think just because I’m a human I can’t tell when you’re lying? Please. If you really didn’t want to hurt us, you would have handled this much differently from the start.”  
  
“Hmm. So, you’re smarter than you look.”  
  
“Or you’re stupider than you look. Or maybe it’s a combination of both,” Stiles insulted. As a reward, Joseph slapped him with the back of his hand, like a pimp would.   
  
“Do you have a death wish or something?”  
  
Stiles shrugged, licking the fresh blood from his lip away. Joseph rolled his eyes and threatened, “Start cooperating or I’ll just kill you.”  
  
“Might as well go ahead, I’m not telling you anything.”  
  
“No... not yet. I’m going to hurt you first,” Joseph growled, his eyes radiating ultraviolet. He picked up a knife from the cart and flipped it through his fingers, his purple eyes hard on Stiles’ eyes.  
  
“Purple’s a pretty gay color on a werewolf, you know?” _Stop insulting him, damn it._ “Was that long-haired dude your mate?”  
  
Joseph’s hand clenched the handle of the knife. “Oh, I am going to make you cry. I’m going to make you beg for mercy. I’m going to make you tell me your life story, and then I’m going to rip you apart.”  
  
“Sounds fun,” Stiles grinned. _God, I really do have a death wish._ “Get on with it, would you? I’ve got an appointment.”  
  
Joseph swung the knife down onto Stiles’ leg, lodging it deep into Stiles’ bone. Stiles screamed.  
  
 _You and I will never happen._  
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The Argents’ red SUV arrived, followed by two more. Allison went to meet her parents and explain the situation to them.   
  
Lydia and Danny were still furious with Derek, both of them giving Derek death glares. Derek ignored them. His eyes were on Chris Argent, who was approaching with Allison and Victoria. The other hunters stayed behind, pulling their equipment out.   
  
“Derek,” Chris said flatly. “I don’t think you’ve had the pleasure of meeting my wife. This is Victoria. Victoria, Derek.”   
  
Victoria’s glare was even more lethal than Chris’ and she made no move to acknowledge him. Derek just nodded.    
  
“Okay, so what’s the situation?” Chris asked.    
  
“A few miles up in that direction,” Derek pointed, “there’s a house. At least ten werewolves, probably more. I’m not sure where they came from, I don’t remember their scents. They have Stiles.”   
  
“And how did that happen?”   
  
Lydia growled and Derek glared at her. “Does it matter?”   
  
“I suppose not. What do you propose?”   
  
“We can’t just rush in. There’s too many of them. Inside a house, with just four werewolves against that many, we all would be ripped apart, even if you guys helped. We need to draw out as many of them as possible,” Derek began.    
  
“Yes, excellent idea,” Victoria chimed in. “May I suggest we use you wolves as bait?” Her smile was downright creepy and the pack did not like it. Jackson growled and stepped forward, but Danny pulled him back, whispering into his ear, “Don’t be stupid. Not the time for that.”   
  
“I would normally agree, Victoria, since this is our problem,” Derek spoke. “However, we don’t know how many of them there are exactly. If we draw them out, and you guys go in blind, they’ll kill you all quick. We don’t know what the layout of the house is. They have the advantage. If we go in, we at least have a fighting chance. I also don’t trust any of you when it comes to rescuing Stiles.”   
  
“Excuse me?” Victoria snapped. “We know what we’re doing. We’re not amateurs.”   
  
“Maybe so,” Derek growled. “Our priority is to rescue Stiles. What’s yours? Saving him or killing the wolves?”   
  
Victoria’s eyes narrowed. Chris said, “Fine. You go in. We’ll draw them out. We’ll approach them and let our scents draw them out. You guys approach from downwind. Allison, you’re coming with us.”   
  
“No, I’m not.”   
  
“This is not up for discussion,” Victoria stated. “You are not going inside that house.”   
  
“Mom. Dad. I’ve told you guys a thousand times. I love you both, but I’m a part of this pack. I’m staying with them. They’ll protect me. I will be fine.”   
  
Scott smiled and walked toward Allison -- he had been staying behind Danny and Lydia in fear of Chris planting a bullet into his head -- and reached for her hand.   
  
As quickly as lightning strikes, Victoria whipped out her gun and aimed it at Scott’s head. “Stay. Away. From. My. Daughter.”   
  
“ _Victoria,_ ” Chris hissed. “Not now.”   
  
“Mom. You pull that trigger and I’ll kill you myself.”   
  
Chris’ eyes widened in horror and Victoria whispered, “What did you say?”   
  
“You heard me. I love Scott. I get why you guys don’t approve, but you will not take him away from me. He has been nothing but good to me. He hasn’t hurt me, not even once. You really need to get over your prejudice.”   
  
Scott tried his best to hide the smile appeared on his face, but he failed miserably. Victoria slowly lowered her gun and looked at Scott again. “Very well. If, however, you _ever_ do anything to hurt her, physically or emotionally, I will hunt you down and torture you to death.”   
  
“Jesus, Mom.”   
  
Scott just smiled. “Fair enough. I have no plans to do that, ever, so I think we’ll be fine.” Victoria leaned close to Scott’s ear and whispered, “Don’t even _think_ about giving her the bite either.” Allison couldn’t hear her, but the wolves could.    
  
Victoria scared Derek, but he liked her. He was glad Allison had a protective mother. He could see where Allison got her determination from.   
  
Chris sighed and said, “We need to discuss exactly what we’re going to do. I think it’s best if we --” he dropped off after Derek, Jackson, Lydia, and Scott’s heads snapped toward the direction Derek pointed at earlier. Derek’s eyes burned a deep shade of red.   
  
“What’s it?” Danny asked.   
  
“Stiles,” Derek growled. “He’s screaming. He’s in serious pain. We need to hurry up.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Joseph threw the blood-drenched knife across the room in a fit of rage, “Why the fuck won’t you tell me anything? Why would you suffer so much for someone who hurt you so bad?”   
  
Stiles’ head hung limp, sharp pants of pain escaping his lips. Tears came freely, mixing with the blood that stained his cheeks and body. “They’re... my pack,” he gasped. “My... family. I’m not going... to lose them too.”   
  
_You and I will never happen._   
  
_Fuck please Derek don’t say that..._   
  
“Too? Who are you talking about?”   
  
“My mother,” Stiles whispered. He saw no harm in sharing that tidbit. “She died when... I was nine.”   
  
_Derek please... help me. It hurts so much. I can’t. Can’t. Please. Derek... Scott..._   
  
_You and I will never happen._   
  
_No... please..._   
  
“And you actually think your pack is your family? You’re not even a werewolf. You mean nothing to them.”   
  
Stiles laughed and stopped abruptly. The pulsing pain robbed him of his ability to laugh or take regular breaths. Every breath he took pushed out more blood from the deep cuts on his chest. He had to take shallow gasps that served as breaths.    
  
“Of course, I’m their... family.”   
  
Joseph laughed. “You fucking fool. You really believe that. No human could ever truly be in a pack. What are you, the whipping boy of the pack? You must like being dominated. Maybe I should bite you and have you serve as our Omega.”   
  
_Danny Allison Lydia Derek... Derek where are you? Please. I’m sorry._   
  
Stiles looked up into Joseph’s eyes and smiled. “You’re the fool. You... call yourself an Alpha?” A quick series of gasps took him then he calmed down. “You have no... idea what a pack is... You don’t understand what... family means.”   
  
_You and I will never happen._   
  
“Do _not_ presume to tell me what a pack is. I am the Alpha of a pack of sixteen werewolves. I’ve ruled them for years. I know what a pack--”   
  
“Ruled? Heh,” Stiles sniggered. “Thank you for proving... my point.”   
  
Joseph growled and picked up another knife from the cart and stabbed Stiles’ stomach. He groaned in pain, but had stopped screaming a long time ago.    
  
_You and I will never happen._   
  
_I’m sorry Derek... please help me... I can’t anymore. Hurts too much._   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The pack hid downwind from the house, waiting for the hunters to draw the wolves out.  Stiles’ screaming had been burned into Derek’s ears, and he was thrumming with anger. God bless whoever comes across him.    
  
“What’s taking them so long?” Lydia whispered.    
  
“I don’t know,” Allison said. “Should be soon. I’d call them but that’d get us killed.”   
  
“I don’t like this,” Scott complained. “It’s been far too long since we heard Stiles. If he’s dead, I swear to god, I’m going to rip them all apart.”   
  
“Calm down, Scott. We’re all angry, I get it,” Danny said, looking at Derek. “But we need to stay clear-minded and be smart about all this.”   
  
Derek gave out an approving growl. His eyes remained glued to the house.    
  
“Allison,” Scott asked, “will you be able to see? It’s pretty dark.”   
  
“Don’t worry, Dad gave me and Danny night goggles. We’ll be able to see.” Scott nodded in relief.   
  
Derek was glad he had his pack with him, otherwise he might have stormed in by now. That wouldn’t have helped anyone. Instead, he said, “You all know what the plan is. Stay quiet until it’s time.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The long-haired man stormed through the door and practically screamed, “Joseph!! We have a problem. We got scents of two groups of people headed here.”   
  
Stiles gasped in pain as Joseph plunged another knife into his arm, making the total amount of daggers stuck in his body five. Two in his legs, one in his stomach and one in each arm.    
  
_Derek... where are you..._   
  
“So,” Joseph mused. “His pack actually came.”   
  
“No, it’s not his pack. They’re hunters.”   
  
“ _What?_ How do you know?”   
  
“Johnny and Avery smelt gunpowder and wolfsbane.”   
  
“How the fuck did they find us? Damn it. It doesn’t matter. Take two groups, go and take them all down.”  The long-haired man left and Joseph grabbed Stiles’ cheeks and squeezed them, growling. “Who are they?”   
  
“No... idea,” whispered Stiles. Joseph must have believed him because he let go and stormed out of the room.   
  
_that’s you right derek? hurry..._   
  
_You and I will never be together._   
  
_no please..._   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The pack froze when the front door of the house flew open and people stormed out.  At least ten of them came out and split into two forces, turned, and ran off in two directions. One of them stayed behind, looking around the house before walking back in.   
  
_That must be the Alpha,_ thought Derek. Scott started up but Derek grabbed his wrist and shook his head. Not yet. After a few minutes to allow distance between them and the wolves, Derek started walking slowly.    
  
Allison took her spot behind a tree, with a good angle on the front door. She pulled out her bow and snapped it into place, and placed her arrow container against the tree then nodded. Danny had a gun and two clips full of wolfsbane bullets. He took a spot on the opposite side of Allison with good vantage points so he could cover both Allison and the door.   
  
Derek, Jackson, Scott, and Lydia moved swiftly in a single file toward the door, using the trees as cover. Derek motioned for the Betas to transform while Derek held off on his own transformation for now.    
  
When they were nearly at the door, the wind suddenly shifted directions. The wolves could smell them now. _Fuck._   
  
“Go in now,” Derek whispered urgently. “We need to hurry, we’ll have company soon.”  
  
Jackson kicked down the door and the Betas stormed in, snarling. Derek entered last, eyes the color of fire.  
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Chris was perched up in a tree, his trusty crossbow in hand, laced with a blinding arrow. Victoria was standing at the base of the tree with a handgun in each hand full of wolfsbane bullets and an AK-47 hanging on her back.   
  
Their fellow hunters were hiding nearby, waiting for the wolves to come near. The hunters had split into three groups -- two were descending upon the house from two directions at once, and the Argents plus a few others were camped in between.  
  
The two descending groups of hunters had been openly fumbling with their guns, intentionally sending out the scent of gunpowder and wolfsbane. Chris hoped that it was enough to draw them out of the house.   
  
Chris saw the first werewolf appear to his right. He used hand signals to let everyone else know, and waited for them to get closer. Chris smiled as he saw that the werewolves had taken the bait -- there were only two groups, both headed for the other Hunter parties.   
  
The wind shifted. Both werewolf groups stopped and sniffed the air. Some of them started shouting and half of them started to run back toward the house.  
  
 _Fucking wind_ , Chris scowled. He fired the arrow and it burst in the middle of the first werewolf group and they screamed, clutching at their eyes.   
  
“Go now!” Screamed Chris. “Attack!”  
  
Victoria stepped out and started firing. The first bullet blew through a werewolf’s forehead and he dropped like a stone. A female werewolf growled and set off in a zig-zagging pattern after Victoria. Victoria calmly holstered one of the handguns, pulled out the AK-47, and opened fire. Once the bullets hit the werewolf and she staggered, Victoria finished her off with the other handgun.   
  
Chris winded up his crossbow again and fired it at a werewolf. It hit him in the chest and exploded, leaving a small hole. He withered on the ground and Victoria calmly stepped over him, firing a bullet into his forehead.   
  
Chris looked to the other group of hunters and saw that one of the hunters was dead. The rest were running toward Chris with the werewolves close behind. Chris fired another blinding arrow and it landed just in front of the wolves, sending one crashing at a tree, the rest sprawled onto the ground. The hunters turned and gunned them all down.  
  
Victoria was holding both handguns once again, firing them after the last werewolf. She was running away from her and the group of hunters. One of the hunters' bullets hit her in the leg. She collapsed and scrambled behind a tree. Victoria kept her distance, walking around in front of her.   
  
The werewolf growled, her yellow eyes glowing. Victoria cocked her head, raised her gun and said, “Fuck you.” She squeezed the trigger.  
  
Chris climbed down the tree and motioned for them all to head toward the house. Allison was in danger. He’ll be damned before he let a single werewolf lay his hands on his daughter.


	3. Round One

Intense anger flooded Derek’s body. The minute he stepped into the house, he could smell Stiles’ blood. There was a lot. Too much. He instantly morphed into his Alpha form and howled.   
  
Scott and Jackson both had given control completely over to their wolves and they were furious. A female werewolf dropkicked Scott through a wall then had her throat ripped out by Lydia before she could pick herself off the floor. Lydia had the most control out of the four, but not by much.   
  
A blue-eyed werewolf launched himself at Lydia, but Jackson collided with him mid air. They crashed onto the floor and scrambled for control. Inside the hole in the wall, Scott was fighting a strong long-haired werewolf. He groaned as the long-haired werewolf slashed deep into his back.  
  
Derek tore apart a Beta with ease. Another one ran straight for him and he simply picked him up and threw him out the window. He heard a pained roar -- it was Lydia, being bitten from behind. The werewolf nearly tore her arm off, but Derek ripped his body from his head. Lydia had to pry his mouth open to remove the head from her arm.  
  
“Derek! There, the Alpha,” Lydia pointed. Derek looked over and saw the purple eyes and smelt the unmistakable smell of an Alpha. He growled and took off after him.  
  
Jackson ripped out the throat of the werewolf he was wrestling with with his teeth. He got up and ran to help Scott, who was losing his fight. Jackson launched himself at the long-haired werewolf, but he just sidestepped and Jackson crashed through a table instead.   
  
Gunfire and small explosions erupted outside the house.  
  
An anguished scream rumbled through the walls of the house, freezing everyone, including the long-haired werewolf. It was Derek’s voice. Lydia whimpered; she felt a stab of emotional pain coming from Derek. Scott and Jackson growled and circled the long-haired werewolf, who was silently waiting for them.  
  
Lydia’s arm had began to regenerate and she took off after Derek to help.  
  
Scott and Jackson went in simultaneously. Scott jumped and slashed at his head, but the long-haired werewolf ducked and slammed Jackson, who went for his knees, into the ground. He picked Jackson up and threw him through the wall, creating another hole.  
  
Scott bounced and slammed into the long-haired werewolf’s back, cracking his spine. They crashed into a grandfather clock, and Scott grabbed his hair with one hand, pulled and raked his claws across the throat. The long-haired man collapsed.  
  
Jackson groaned as he got up. “You okay?” Scott asked.   
  
“Yeah, I’m fine. That’s all of them, right?”  
  
“All except the Alpha,” Scott said. “Let’s go, Derek needs our help.”  
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Allison and Danny stood frozen at their spots, breathing slowly. They could hear the chaos that was happening inside. They heard roars, pained cries, and the sound of people dying.    
  
_Please be okay, Scott. Please,_ Allison hoped. _Please be okay, everyone._   
  
Danny jumped as one of the werewolves erupted from the window and crashed into the grass. Allison let off an arrow, but it barely grazed his arm. He turned and snarled at Allison and leapt after her. Danny fired his gun at him, most missed but two his his arm and leg. He collapsed and squirmed under the pain of the wolfsbane.    
  
Allison nocked and drew another arrow and it pierced through the werewolf’s temple. Danny let out a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived.    
  
Four werewolves emerged from the woods, howling. Allison nocked and drew another one and fired, missing everyone. Her next one hit one of them in the leg, and it slowed him down. Just enough for Danny to bury one in his chest.   
  
The other three were coming fast, however. Danny replaced the clips on his gun and fired again. Allison nocked a blinding arrow and drew it, said, “Danny, close your eyes,” and let go.   
  
He closed them a bit too late and the light blinded him, but it got the werewolves as well. Allison drew another arrow and this one stuck into a shoulder, just barely missing the neck. Allison grabbed Danny and dragged him, saying, “We need to move. They’re going to catch up fast. Let’s go!”   
  
An howling roar pierced the woods and Allison winced. Rubbing his eyes, Danny said, “Was that Derek?”   
  
“Yeah, I think so. He sounded like he was in pain. I hope he’s okay. We need to worry about ourselves, though. Come on.”   
  
Danny’s eyesight restored and he ran after Allison, both of them headed deeper into the woods. The werewolves hesitated, unsure whether they should chase them or go inside and help their pack. They chose to go inside.    
  
Danny stopped, turned, and emptied his gun. Only one found its target -- the arm of the werewolf that was hit by Allison’s arrow earlier -- and the werewolves turned and snarled and started after them.    
  
An blinding arrow exploded in front of the werewolves and they cowered in pain. Victoria blew out a hole in one of the werewolves’ head with her AK-47. One of the other hunters fired a wolfsbane bullet through the heart of the injured werewolf, leaving just one left.    
  
“I surrender,” she growled. She got down on her knees and kept her hands up. She remained in her Beta form, however and Victoria just shrugged and pulled the trigger of her handgun.   
  
“Allison, are you okay?”   
  
“Yeah, Mom, I’m fine. Thank you. Thank you all.”   
  
“Yeah, thank you,” Danny added. “Are you guys okay?”   
  
“We lost one,” Chris said softly. “Other than that, yes, we are. I’m going to go inside, you guys stay out here.”   
  
Allison harrumphed. “I want to go inside too.”   
  
“Allison, for once, stop arguing with me. You’re staying out here. The fight inside isn’t over. You’re not going inside until it is.”   
  
Allison sighed. Danny said, “He’s right. We can’t do anything in there. We did our job. Let them take care of it.”   
  
“Wise words,” Victoria commented. Danny smiled and nodded.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Joseph had left Stiles alone. He leaned back against the chair, breathing raggedly. His face was a mess, blood and tears smeared all over. He had a cut on both of his cheeks and it hurt every time a tear snuck into the opening.    
  
_hunters... argents? are they here for me?_   
  
He looked down to his body. Red gashes covered the majority of his chest, plus there was the knife sticking out of his stomach.    
  
_even if they’re here for me... i’m going to die..._   
  
His cock and balls remained untouched. Thankfully. Perhaps Joseph thought making a sixteen year old an eunuch was going a bit too far. Either way, it was the healthiest part of him.   
  
_and i can’t even use you for derek..._   
  
_You and I will never happen._   
  
_derek i’m sorry... i won’t do it again... please help me... derek..._   
  
Stiles heard a door slam open in the distance. He looked over to the door, but it was still closed. His breaths were getting shallower and shallower. He looked at the knives that were sticking out of his leg and moaned.   
  
He jerked in surprise when he heard a loud crash, shouts and painful screams.    
  
_derek is that you... did you come? please derek derek... i don’t want to die_   
  
More screams, more crashes, and now gunfire.    
  
_derek hurry... bite me... or i die..._   
  
The door flew open and Joseph stumbled through, slammed it shut and went straight for Stiles. He pulled him up from the chair and Stiles groaned in pain. Joseph stood behind him, holding him up like a shield.   
  
The door left its hinges and crashed onto the floor. A werewolf with fire red eyes leapt into the room.   
  
“Derek...”   
  
The wolf froze. Stiles could literally see him shiver and winced as a howl erupted from his throat.    
  
“Back off, or I kill him,” Joseph threatened. Derek either didn’t hear or care. He leapt. Joseph’s eyes widened and he dodged, dragging Stiles with him, despite his groaning shouts of pain. Derek crashed against the cart then the wall and got on all fours, growling.    
  
Joseph transformed, opened his lips and howled. Then, he bit down hard on Stiles’ neck.    
  
For the first time in a while, Stiles screamed despite being physically unable to do so.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Derek chased the Alpha into a room. He slammed the door behind him, but Derek just knocked it down. Stiles’ scent was the strongest here, so he knew this was where he was. He jumped into the room and saw him.   
  
His heart dropped like a block of ice and shattered against the concrete floor.  
  
The Alpha was holding him up, hiding behind him like a coward. His face was swollen, bruised and bleeding. He saw knives sticking out of his body. Stiles’ chest was covered cuts of varying sizes and depth. Blood streaked down his body, down his legs where there were even more knives and cuts.   
  
There was no way Stiles should still be alive.  
  
A deep growl rumbled and Derek tried to screamed, “You’re fucking _dead_ ,” but what came out wasn’t intelligible. His howl vibrated his body and he leapt. Anger took over and any reason he had left was gone.  
  
 _Protect Stiles. Kill him._   
  
Those were the only things Derek understood.   
  
The Alpha moved and Derek missed. He crashed into a cart of knives and several of them stuck into his body. He never noticed. He untangled himself and crouched, ready to pounce the Alpha. Derek’s eyes burned brighter and brighter.   
  
The Alpha bit Stiles. Derek heard him a gravely scream coming from Stiles.  
  
Derek lost it. His eyes were so bright, they were practically pink.   
  
Derek jumped. The Alpha looked up and saw Derek coming, dropped Stiles and jumped to meet him midair. They crashed and slashed at each other. The Alpha was bigger and stronger, but Derek was quicker and angrier.   
  
The Alpha threw Derek at the wall, but Derek was able to bounce off it and slam right into the Alpha’s chest. He tore off a piece of the Alpha’s side, taking a rib out. His claws dug into the other side and tore it open. They crashed through the wall into another room and Derek landed on top of the Alpha, breaking a few of his remaining ribs. He raised his claws and brought it down to his neck, but the Alpha managed to throw him off before his throat was slashed.   
  
Derek landed on his back a few feet away and jumped up. The Alpha was up as well. Derek snarled and ran for him. The Alpha crouched lower and headbutted Derek’s stomach, expelling all the air he had in his lungs. Derek flew backwards and broke through a desk. He felt one of the bones in his legs break.  
  
The Alpha advanced and stood above Derek. He grabbed the unbroken leg and kicked the shin, shattering his bones, leaving Derek unable to walk. He screamed and growled and the Alpha grinned.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Lydia searched for the room Derek had disappeared into. She found a room with a missing door and peered into it. She saw the Alpha with his back to Lydia, facing Derek. The Alpha was holding something in front of him. She saw an arm flail and realized it was Stiles.   
  
Then the Alpha bit him.   
  
Lydia gasped as she watched Derek leap. The Alpha dropped Stiles and Lydia felt her stomach lurch and she could taste bile. The boy that crashed onto the ground wasn’t Stiles. It was just some puppet. Lydia knew it was him, but it didn’t look like him at all. There was so much blood and there were knives buried into his body!   
  
“Oh my god,” she whispered, tears falling. “Stiles.”   
  
Lydia crept toward Stiles, wary of the battle that was being fought. Once Derek and the Alpha created a hole and took their fight elsewhere, Lydia ran to Stiles.   
  
“Stiles! Stiles, please tell me you’re still alive.”   
  
The only thing she could get out of him was a groan. That’s a positive sign, at least. She held his head up and stroked his cheeks. She tore off her shirt and pressed it against the bite on his neck, trying to stop the flow of the blood.    
  
“Oh, please please, don’t die, Stiles. Don’t leave us. Derek needs you. Scott needs you. Your Dad needs you. I need you. Don’t die,” Lydia begged.    
  
Scott and Jackson stormed into the room and froze. Scott just stood there, completely devoid of emotion. Jackson knelt beside Lydia and whimpered as he looked over Stiles’ injuries.    
  
“What the fuck did they do to him? Why did they even do this? What did he do to them?”   
  
“I don’t know, Jackson. I don’t know what to do. Can we even move him?”   
  
“I don’t know, but the first thing I’m doing is getting rid of those knives. Seriously, what the hell,” growled Jackson. He pulled the knives out of Stiles’ arms and legs, then pulled the one out of his stomach. He tore his shirt off and pushed them against the freshly oozing wounds. "Scott, give me your shirt."   
  
Scott blinked. And again. He growled, took off his shirt and tossed it to Jackson, and then ran for the hole Derek and the Alpha went through.   
  
“Scott! Don’t,” Lydia shouted. “They’re Alphas. You don’t have a chance.”   
  
“I DON’T FUCKING CARE,” Scott roared. “That’s my fucking best friend, and I am not going to let him get away with that.” He disappeared into the hole.   
  
Chris Argent walked into the room a few seconds after Scott left, drawn by his scream. He saw Stiles lying on the ground and stopped.   
  
“Oh my god,” he choked. Lydia looked at him and asked, “What do we do?”   
  
“Just stay here, I’ll get the stretcher out of my SUV.”   
  
Jackson ripped apart his and Scott's shirts and he and Lydia wrapped Stiles' major wounds up tightly. Jackson kept a large piece of cloth and covered Stiles' genitals with it. After they were done dressing Stiles' wounds, Jackson stroked Stiles’ head and whispered, “It’s okay. You’re going to be okay.” It was the first time Lydia had ever seen Jackson crying. It just made her cry harder.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The Alpha looked down at Derek, sneering. He reached down and pulled Derek up by the neck, his legs dangling. Derek growled.   
  
The Alpha’s ears perked and he turned his head around just in see to see Scott slam into his back, clawing and biting and screaming. The trio crumpled into the pile of wood that used to be the desk.  
  
The Alpha turned and grabbed Scott by his hair, but his mouth was firmly latched onto his back. The Alpha groaned and yanked, tearing a piece of his back off and threw Scott away. Derek’s first broken leg had reconnected -- not completely healed, but just enough. Derek used the leg to jump onto the Alpha and swung fists full of anger. It connected with the Alpha’s jaw, breaking and dislocating it. Another swing broke his nose. Scott scrambled back and his fists pummeled the Alpha’s stomach.   
  
The Alpha pushed Derek off and Scott took advantage of the lack of attention by slashing his claws deep into the Alpha’s face, cutting through his left eyeball. The Alpha screamed and slashed and kicked at Scott. He managed to get both of his legs drawn back and kicked Scott through the wall back into the room where Stiles was at.  
  
Derek clutched the Alpha’s jaw, squeezed it, and pulled it up, exposing his neck. He dove in, ignoring the slashes the Alpha was raking across his chest and back, and his teeth closed over the Alpha’s throat.  
  
He bit down as hard as he could and shook his head viciously, like a dog would with a toy. The Alpha’s hands dropped. Derek spat out the meat in his mouth. As the light left the Alpha’s eyes, Derek roared a loud and long howl.  
  
He drew back his Alpha form and became human once again. He limped back into the room and knelt behind Stiles’ head, holding his head up.   
  
Scott got up, checked to make sure the Alpha was really dead, then collapsed at Stiles’ legs, stone-faced.   
  
Danny and Allison ran into the room and Allison gasped and quickly turned away. Danny took her into a hug and whispered something into her ear. Allison nodded then sat with Scott, holding him. In an instant, Scott disintegrated and tears poured out. Danny was the only one who stayed on his feet, determined to not let his tears fall.  
  
“Stiles,” Derek whispered. “Stiles. Please wake up.”  
  
Stiles’ eyes slowly opened. He blinked a few times then focused.  
  
“Derek... you came.”  
  
A strangled sob choked Derek.  
  
“Of course I came, Stiles. I’m so sorry.”  
  
“I... I’m sorry,” whispered Stiles. “I shouldn’t have... kissed... you.”  
  
Derek laughed. “No, Stiles. You’re not allowed to apologize. You’ve got nothing to apologize for. I do. I fucked up. I fucked up so bad. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you away.”  
  
“I-- it was... my fault. I... shouldn’t have... done that.”  
  
“Yes, Stiles, you should have. You didn’t do anything wrong,” cried Derek. “I fucked up. I pushed you away when I wanted you. I was just scared. I thought... Kate. You know what she did to me. I just thought the same thing would happen to you. I wasn’t thinking. I’m just really stupid. Danny and Lydia already made it clear to me how stupid I am.”  
  
“You’re not... stupid.”  
  
“Yes he is,” Lydia chuckled, smiling a sad smile.   
  
“Stiles, listen to me. You’re my mate. I’ve known that for a long time, but I was scared. I pushed you away because I was scared.”  
  
“What’re... you saying?”  
  
Derek smiled. “Stiles, I love you. I’m never going to hurt you like that again. Never. I promise. You just got to live. Don’t give up. I love you.”  
  
“Oh... okay,” Stiles smiled. He closed his eyes.  
  
Chris came in the room with Victoria and the stretcher. Victoria looked away from Stiles in disgust. “This is why I hate werewolves.”  
  
Derek laughed. “Right now, I hate the fuck out of werewolves too.”   
  
Victoria looked at him. She saw the pain in his eyes. She saw the tears. She understood.  
  
Chris laid the stretcher down and everyone helped pull Stiles onto the stretcher. Chris and Danny carried him out of the house, carefully. Derek’s tears kept coming, and he didn’t care. The hunters watched him limp behind Chris and Danny. They saw the tears. They saw how human Derek was.  
  
Victoria opened the trunk door of the SUV, climbed in and pushed the seats down. Allison opened the passenger door and climbed in. She and Victoria helped pull the stretcher inside. Derek climbed in and Chris closed the trunk then climbed into the driver’s seat.  
  
“Drive as fast you can,” Derek begged. 


	4. The Reason

“Mom, we’re nearly there, meet us outside. Bring doctors, a bed, whatever it is that you guys do.”  
  
“What, Scott? What’s wrong?”  
  
“It’s Stiles,” Scott whispered.   
  
Minutes later, the SUV screeched to a stop. Jackson parked his Porsche just ahead of the SUV and Scott scrambled out. Melissa McCall was waiting outside with a few other nurses.   
  
“What’s going on, Scott?” Melissa asked.   
  
“I’ll explain everything, I swear, Mom. Just not right now. Stiles needs you.”   
  
Melissa nodded and followed Scott to the back of the SUV, where Chris was pulling out the stretcher. Melissa gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “ _Scott McCall,_ ” she hissed. “What the hell?”  
  
“I know, Mom. Not now. Just save him. Please,” Scott cried. Allison clung onto him as if they were superglued together. The nurses transferred Stiles from the stretcher onto the hospital stretcher and wheeled him inside. Derek followed them in, trailed by Jackson and Lydia.  
  
“I expect everything, Scott. _Everything._ ”  
  
“I promise, Mom. Just... please.”  
  
Melissa left without another word, Scott and Allison walking slowly behind.  
  
Danny climbed out of the SUV. “Mr. and Mrs. Argent... what about the werewolves? The bodies?”  
  
“Don’t worry about that,” Chris said. “We’re taking care of that. Just go in, Stiles need you all.”  
  
Danny nodded. “Thanks. For everything. And I’m sorry it got this ugly.” Chris and Victoria each gave him an understanding nod and Danny entered the building.  
  
Victoria sighed. “Fucking werewolves. I hate them all so much, but this pack... I understand why Allison is with them. They’re just kids.”  
  
“Not all of them,” Chris added. “Not Derek.”  
  
“No,” Victoria mused. “But Derek is who he is because of Kate. Because of our family. Besides... he’s in love with Stiles.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“I may be a hardcore bitch, Chris, but I’m still a woman. We know these things. We should probably go easy on this pack. They’re not like the others.”  
  
Chris stared into her wife’s eyes and smiled. “I’m going to go back and help with the cleaning up. Do you want me to drop you off at home first?”  
  
“No. I’m going to stay here. Scott needs Allison, but Allison needs someone too.” Chris nodded a sad smile. He kissed his wife and got in his car. Victoria watched him drive away then walked inside the hospital.  
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“So... who’s going to call the Sheriff?” Lydia asked. The pack groaned in response. Scott spoke first, “I’ll do it. It’s my responsibility. Shit. He’s going to kill me.” He pulled out his phone and dialed the Sheriff’s number.   
  
Derek was sitting in between Jackson and Lydia, staring at the chair in front of him, but also staring at nothing. Victoria was sitting next to Allison, holding her tight while Scott was talking to the Sheriff. Lydia could hear the Sheriff’s panicked voice rising and watched Scott shut his eyes tight, mumbling.    
  
Lydia glanced over to Derek and saw just how out of it he looked. She reached for Derek’s head and pulled it to her bosom, stroking his head. Jackson looked like a kicked puppy, cowering next to Danny, who had his arm around him.    
  
Scott’s phone clicked shut. “He’s coming. He’s really upset. What do we tell him? How are we supposed to explain this?”   
  
“First things first,” Lydia said. “The Alpha bit him. What does that mean? Was he trying to kill Stiles or was he trying to turn him? Maybe he was trying to kill him, but will it turn him anyway? What are we going to say if Stiles suddenly wakes up completely healed? How do we explain that?”   
  
Silence.   
  
“You tell the Sheriff what’s going on. He’s the one person who should have known about this a long time ago.”   
  
Everyone turned to the source of the voice, except Derek, who was still in a trance. Scott jumped up. “Dr. Deaton? What are you doing here?”   
  
Dr. Deaton smiled. “I’m here to help.”    
  
“Oh... okay. But, like, how? Stiles is human...”   
  
“Yes, he is.”   
  
Scott stared at him. Dr. Deaton just smiled. “I know what I’m doing.” He walked down the hallway that led to the room where the doctors were working on Stiles.   
  
“Okay... I guess we’re going to need to tell Scott’s mom and the Sheriff about everything. Us, and all that. Hopefully that’ll help us keep a lid on this,” Danny said. “Shit. I really hope he’s going to be okay.”   
  
Jackson let out a very silent whimper, his head resting on Danny’s shoulder. Scott could barely hear it, but he was oblivious to it. “Just got to sleep, Jackson,” Danny whispered. “I’m here. You’re okay.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Derek watched the nurses scramble and wheel Stiles in. He followed them until they barred him from going any further. He growled threateningly, but Melissa scolded him and told him to let them do their job.    
  
Derek collapsed onto a chair and tuned everything out. He focused purely on what was happening inside the room he wasn’t allowed in.    
  
He could hear all the doctors and nurses talking, he could hear the equipment being moved around. He could hear scalpels cutting into flesh. He could hear the hiss of Stiles’ skin as it was being cleansed.   
  
So many voices. None of them belonged to Stiles.   
  
The only thing of his Derek could hear was his heartbeat, faintly pumping.    
  
_thump-thump. thump-thump._   
  
_As long as that heartbeat goes, I’ll be okay._   
  
“This is the Sheriff’s son, right? What happened to him?”   
  
“Judging by the bruises and the wounds, he was tortured. Look, you can clearly see the individual fingers of a fist on this bruise.”   
  
“What sick fuck would do this to a kid?”   
  
“Guys, we’re doctors, not police officers. Leave the detecting to them. Let’s make sure he survives this, or the Sheriff will have all our heads.”    
  
“This stomach wound worries me the most. Well, other than that bite. What the hell did that?”   
  
“Looks like some type of a dog. A big dog. Get a rabies shot ready.”   
  
“Scalpel, please. We need to make sure there’s no internal bleeding. I’ll check the stomach, you two check the lungs.”   
  
“Josh, clean out the rest of the wounds, make sure they’re not infected. Especially the bite.”   
  
_thump-thump. thump-thump._   
  
“What are you doing here, Dr. Deaton?”   
  
“I believe that is an animal bite. That is my speciality, is it not?”   
  
“Yeah, on animals. Not humans.”   
  
“Humans are also animals. I am the best equipped to deal with this. Do you want to waste time arguing about this? Or would you like to save this child?”   
  
“Hospital policy says --”   
  
“Pardon my french, but fuck hospital policy. I have an invested interest in keeping this child alive and I intend to do just that.”   
  
“An invested interest? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”   
  
“I made his mother a promise. That’s all you need to know. Now, move.”   
  
_I'm going to need to talk to Dr. Denton later._   
  
_thump-thump. thump-thump._   
  
“Where’s the --”   
  
Someone slapped Derek lightly. Derek snapped out of his trace, blinking. Lydia had a concerned look on her face. “What’s it, Lydia?”   
  
“Are you okay?”   
  
“I’m just listening.”   
  
“Derek, you look like shit. You look the most out of whack out of any of us, and that’s saying something. Look at how Scott and Jackson look.” Derek looked. Scott’s head was in Allison’s lap, an eternal grimace on his face. Jackson had his eyes closed, but Derek knew he wasn’t sleeping. His heartbeat gave that away. He looked drained, like he had been awake for days with nothing to live on except Adderall.   
  
“You look worse, Derek. You’re our Alpha, you need to snap out of it. We can’t do anything more for Stiles, so we need to pull ourselves together and hope for the best. You need to be the first to do that.”   
  
Derek nodded. Of course, as usual, Lydia was right. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.   
  
_He’s going to be okay. He has to be. I have to believe that. I do believe that. He will be okay._   
  
Derek’s eyes opened and landed on Victoria’s eyes, who was staring at him. Derek gulped and gave a small exhale out.    
  
“Thank you, Lydia,” Derek said. “You’re right. Everyone, go back home. Rest. Shower. You all need it. Come back when you guys don’t look like shit.”   
  
“Speak for yourself,” muttered Jackson. Derek growled. “Okay, okay. Going.”   
  
Lydia smiled as Jackson got up and dragged Scott up. Allison moved to follow them, but Victoria gripped her wrist. “Before you go, I want to talk.” Allison nodded and they walked into an empty room.    
  
“What about you?” Lydia asked. Derek sighed. “The Sheriff’s coming, right? I have to explain to him what happened. I’ll be fine. Go.” Lydia replied, "Okay. Just... be careful. He's not going to be happy. And what you're going to tell him isn't going to help." Derek answered with a look in his eyes that said, _I know. I have to do it anyway._   
  
Lydia nodded and walked away, just in time for Allison, who just finished up her talk with her mother. They exited the hospital together. Victoria was still in the room, and she spoke. “Derek, come in here. Chris’ on the phone.”   
  
Derek obeyed. He entered the room and closed the door. “What’s it?” The phone was on speaker mode, so Chris just began.   
  
“We found a lot of papers at the house. Plans. Lists. Blueprints. A lot of information. Looks like they were planning to completely take over Beacon Hills. This is unbelievable, but judging from everything we found, they thought that all the Hales had been wiped out, so they decided to move in. They were planning on turning everyone in the town. Whoever resisted would have been killed outright.    
  
“They have been planning this for a while. They only came into town recently, but the papers go back as far as the year the your house burned down. They even have a little information -- not much, but a little on us. The Argents.   
  
“I really don’t like this. Something like this, there’s no way those werewolves we killed were all they were. I’d bet my life that there’s more of them around in town.”   
  
Derek gaped at the phone. Victoria’s face was pure rock, her eyes trained on Derek.    
  
“I don’t know how many more there is, but it looks like they weren’t the only pack planning this. There’s several more and if this pack was here, then their plan has started. The rest of them will be coming soon.    
  
“I’m going to call as many hunters as I can. Tell them all to come here. Because a war is going to start soon, and we’re right in the center. This is going to get ugly, and fast.”   
  
“Fuck,” Derek said. What else could he say?   
  
“We’re going to have to keep working together if we want to protect this town, Derek,” Victoria said. “This is much bigger than any of us. We can’t keep secrets from each other anymore.”   
  
“I agree,” Derek nodded.    
  
“I’m going to bring every data we found and show them to you and your pack. First, we’re going to burn down the house with all of the bodies inside. And Derek, as much as I hate to say this, you may need to consider recruiting for your pack. Hunters aren’t equipped to deal with several large packs at the same time. Allison is off limits, of course.”   
  
“Of course,” Derek agreed, after Victoria hung up. “This is possibly the worst news we could hear,” Derek sighed.   
  
“I agree,” Victoria said. “And I am really sorry about what happened to Stiles and I hope he makes it. But what happened may have been a blessing in disguise.”   
  
Derek snapped his head and glared at Victoria. “How the hell is that a blessing in disguise?”   
  
“We know their plan. We’re not going to be caught unaware. If this never happened, we would have been clueless until it was too late,” Victoria said. “I’d rather have one dead boy than an entire town dead.”   
  
Her words stabbed Derek through his heart as easily as a lightsaber would cut through paper. She was right, however.    
  
Derek growled. “You’re right. I don’t like it, but you’re right.”   
  
Derek heard someone scream outside the room. He groaned.   
  
“What’s it?”    
  
“The Sheriff. He’s here. We’re going to need to tell him all that too.”   
  
“Yes... we need to. Not yet, however. We shouldn’t throw everything at him now. Let him worry about his son for now.”   
  
Derek nodded. “Thank you, Victoria.” He left the room and walked toward the Sheriff.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Derek’s heart beat louder and louder with each step he took. The Sheriff was yelling at the doors, demanding to see his son. Melissa was shouting back, saying that the doctors weren’t done with him.  
  
“There he is, Sheriff. Go ask him.”  
  
The sheriff turned and if looks could kill, Derek would have died the most painful way possible. Derek started, “Hello Sheriff --” but the Sheriff wasn’t having any of it. He grabbed Derek’s leather jacket and slammed him against the wall and screamed, “What the fuck did you do to my son??”  
  
Derek grimaced. “I didn’t do that to him. I rescued him. I got him away from the people who did that to him. But, yes, it was my fault,” he trailed off, refusing to meet the Sheriff’s eyes. The Sheriff’s fists clenched tighter and he drew closer to Derek’s face and whispered, “Explain. Now.”  
  
“I will once you let me go.”  
  
“Don’t fuck with me. _Explain right the fuck now._ ”  
  
Derek sighed. “I hurt him. Not physically, but emotionally. We had an argument. He did something and I didn’t react the way I should have. I did the opposite thing. I pushed him away, and --”  
  
The Sheriff’s face dropped. He let go of Derek. “You? It was you? I always thought it was Scott or Lydia, but... He’s in love with _you_?” The Sheriff said with such disdain. Derek’s face hardened. He couldn’t help but feel insulted. “What’s wrong with me?”  
  
The Sheriff scoffed. “Stiles tried to get you arrested for the murder of your sister. He tried to pin the murders at the school on you. Excuse me if I’m a little surprised that, after all that, he's in love with you.”  
  
Derek clenched his jaw. “This isn’t what we should be talking about, anyway. After our argument, Stiles got upset and ran away. He ran into the forest. I don’t think he was coherent at the time, so he got lost. A group of... people took him.”  
  
“Took him? What’s that supposed to mean?”  
  
“They kidnapped him. They tortured him.”  
  
“ _Tortured_? Why the hell would they torture a sixteen year old kid?”  
  
“That,” Derek began, “is what we need to talk about. I need to explain this to you and Melissa both, because this involves Scott as well. We’re going to need privacy. Melissa, I know you can hear me. Can we find a room so we’re alone?”  
  
The Sheriff looked back to where the doors were and Melissa stepped into sight, sheepishly. “Umm. Yeah, okay. This way,” she gestured. They followed her past the doors and into a room a few doors away from where Stiles was at.   
  
“You two should probably sit down for this.”  
  
Melissa sat down. The Sheriff crossed his arms and stood his ground.   
  
“Sit down,” Derek ordered. Reluctantly, the Sheriff listened.  
  
“This is what Scott was going to tell you, Melissa. This will sound crazy, but I promise you, everything I’m about to say is the truth. You two both think your sons have been spending a lot of time at each other’s houses, but it’s not true. They’ve been at my house, along with Jackson, Lydia, Danny, and Allison.  
  
“We’re a pack. A... werewolf pack. Not all of us are werewolves. Danny, Allison and Stiles aren’t. Jackson, Lydia and Scott are,” Derek continued. Melissa rolled her eyes. The Sheriff just stared at Derek like he was some escaped mental patient. Derek sighed.  
  
“I know you guys don’t believe me, but it’s true. My uncle, Peter, bit Scott the night you found my sister’s body in the woods, Sheriff. My family were all werewolves, it’s why Kate Argent burnt down my house. She and her family are werewolf hunters. It’s why Peter bit Scott, he was trying to recruit his own pack. It’s why Peter bit Lydia. It’s why Peter killed Kate.”  
  
“Okay, you are insane, mister,” Melissa interrupted. She got up and made for the door.  
  
“ _Sit down,_ ” growled Derek, his eyes flashing red. Melissa jumped back in horror and the Sheriff perked up. “I’m not done. Peter was the Alpha, the leader of the pack. I killed him that night, with the help of your sons. I probably wouldn’t be alive today if it wasn’t for them, actually. When I killed him, I became the Alpha. A few days after that, Jackson came to me, begging to be turned, so I gave him the bite.   
  
“I haven’t bitten either Stiles or Danny because neither of them have asked for it. I won’t turn them against their wishes. I won’t bite Allison because if I did, the Argents would hunt me down. Together, we’ve been a pack, a family of sorts.”  
  
The Sheriff nodded dramatically, as if he was egging Derek on. “And what does all this have to do with what happened to Stiles?” He asked.  
  
“The people that kidnapped him, they were another pack. The Argents have just discovered a lot of information about them that they don’t think is wise to share with you right now because it might be a bit too much at once, but... I don’t think we have a choice.   
  
“Sheriff, they were torturing your son because they could smell us on him. Our scent. The scent of werewolves. They thought that all of us Hales had died in the fire, so they were going to invade the town. When they found Stiles, they decided to take him and torture him. I’m not 100% sure what for, but we assume it was for information on the pack.  
  
“They were here because they wanted to take over this town. This town is big but isolated. They planned to turn the entire town into werewolves, killing anyone who resisted. We’re not sure what the endgame is, but it’s not good. When we went to rescue Stiles, we killed the entire pack. However, the information we found says that they were not the only pack that planned to do this. There’s several other packs that are on their way here.  
  
“Sheriff, this is important. You need to understand this. Beacon Hills is going to become a war zone very soon.”  
  
The Sheriff nodded. “Any proof?”  
  
“Yes, Chris Argent has them all. He has the papers we found --”   
  
“No, I’m not talking about that,” the Sheriff interrupted. “If you’re telling the truth about being a werewolf, then we can assume the rest is true. Prove it.”  
  
Derek nodded. “Fair enough. I’m going to need to take my clothes off.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Because I’ll rip them apart otherwise,” Derek replied and began taking his clothes off. Melissa couldn’t help but steal glances of Derek’s sculpted body. The Sheriff just stared.  
  
“Just so you know, Melissa, I can smell your arousal.”  
  
In a matter of seconds, Melissa’s face turned beet-red. Derek chuckled. He took off his boxers, the last piece of clothing he had on, then transformed into his Alpha form. His fur grew first, then his fangs. His legs buckled backwards and he fell onto all fours. Claws sprouted from his hands and feet. A tail grew out of his ass.  
  
Melissa’s eyes widened and she stammered, “My... my son can do _that_?” The Sheriff glanced at her then back at Derek and gulped. “My son is in love with _that_?” Derek growled and both parents jerked backwards. Derek reverted to his human form and glowered at the Sheriff. “Yes, your son is in love with _this_ ,” he growled.  
  
“Melissa, no, your son can’t. That was my Alpha form, your son is a Beta. His form is different. He can’t completely transform into a wolf.”  
  
“I... see,” Melissa stared dumbly. Derek was suddenly aware that he was still naked, so he pulled his clothes on.  
  
“I know this is a lot to take in at once, and I’m sorry. The pack’s at my house now, resting. We had a long night. You two should come with me and talk to them when you have time. Perhaps later, when they come to see Stiles.”  
  
“Um, Derek... This is a little off-point, but... you said you guys killed a pack, right?” After Derek nodded, Melissa continued. “Did... Scott kill someone?” Derek’s face softened. “Yes, he did. He also saved my life... and Stiles’ life.”  _I need to thank him for that. I don’t know if he has big balls or was just stupid for taking an Alpha on, but I’m real glad he did._  
  
“I... see,” Melissa repeated. Her eyes lowered and she disappeared into thought. Derek looked over at the Sheriff.   
  
“I’m sorry, Sheriff. I really am. I never intended to hurt Stiles. I realize now that I... I pushed him away because I was afraid of hurting him the way Kate hurt me. Kate seduced me and used me to kill my family. Kate gave me everything then took everything away. I was young and stupid. It broke my heart and when I look at Stiles, he’s so young... I just didn’t want him to feel the same way I did. I just didn’t want to hurt Stiles... and I ended up doing that anyway. I really am sorry.”  
  
The Sheriff looked at Derek for a long time. “And how do you feel about him now, Derek?”  
  
“When we took care of everyone and found Stiles, I told him that I loved him. That I was sorry. I meant it. After Stiles gets better -- which I firmly believe he will -- I’m going to treat him the way he deserves to be treated. I’m going to love him. I’m going to do whatever it takes to protect him. I promise you that.”  
  
The Sheriff seemed to accept that. Kind of. “Okay. If, however, I ever find out you’ve fucked him, I will throw your ass in jail so fast, you'll wake up as a fetus in your mother's stomach. He is still underage. Do I make myself clear?”  
  
Derek smiled. “Crystal clear, Sheriff.”  
  
The Sheriff gave a short nod. He looked at Melissa and asked, “So... how bad is it? Stiles?”  
  
“It’s pretty bad. To be honest, when they brought him in, I thought he was dead. He _should_ have been dead. He lost so much blood and there were so many cuts and he’s seriously bruised from head to toe. He’s got several broken ribs. Thankfully, none of them pierced the lungs or the heart. He was stabbed down to the bone in his leg, although the other stabs were shallower. Apart from the one that cut into his stomach. That one is going to need surgery to repair, which they’re doing. I’ve seen people die from less. I don’t know how the hell he’s hanging on, but he is.”  
  
The Sheriff’s face darkened and his hands clenched tightly into fists. Derek could see his fingers get whiter and whiter as the blood circulation was cut off.   
  
“Melissa... I need to see him. Please.”  
  
“Okay, Sheriff. Come with me, and we’ll scrub down and give you the proper attire. But when we’re in there, I’m the sheriff, not you. You listen to me. Do you understand that?” The Sheriff nodded. “Would you like to come too, Derek?”  
  
Derek stammered, “I -- I.. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”  
  
“You’re coming,” the Sheriff said flatly. They exited the room and Derek followed obediently. When they entered the scrub room, Derek said, “You guys are taking the whole werewolf thing really well.”  
  
Melissa stared at Derek. “What, is there a specific guideline for how we’re supposed to react? Am I supposed to bounce off the walls and scream and cry? No... if our children can handle this, then so can we.”  
  
Derek smiled.   
  
"I _am_ going to kick Scott's ass for not telling me, however."  
  
 _I really need to stop underestimating people._


	5. The Recovery

Hours after the pack brought Stiles to the hospital, they walked through the doors again. The Sheriff was sitting in the waiting room, his foot tapping. Derek sat a few chairs away, his eyes closed. After he and the Sheriff had seen Stiles then were dismissed from the room, exhaustion hit Derek like a semi-truck would.   
  
Lydia stroked Derek’s cheek, whispering, “Hey Derek? You awake?”   
  
Derek groaned and unglued his eyelids. He blinked a few times. “I am now.” He looked around and saw the Sheriff, sitting there silently, looking at Derek. Derek knew there was no news yet.   
  
“How are you guys doing?” The Sheriff asked. The pack looked at each other nervously and one by one, they said they were fine.   
  
“I’ve told him everything,” Derek started. “I still need to tell you guys what the Argents found --”  
  
“No need,” Allison interrupted. “Dad called and told us. We know.” Derek’s mouth closed and he sank into his chair. “To be honest, I don’t know what to do now,” he sighed.  
  
“It doesn’t matter,” Lydia said. “We can’t worry about that. We need to take this one at a time. Right now, we need to focus on Stiles. After Stiles gets better, we’ll figure out what to do then.”  
  
The pack nodded in agreement and Derek couldn’t help but feel relieved.   
  
Fifteen minutes later, Melissa McCall walked through the doors. The pack sprung up on their feet, their hearts in their throats.   
  
“First things first. Scott, get your ass over here.” Scott meekly walked over to his mother. “Turn around.” He did what he was asked to.  
  
Melissa kicked his ass.  
  
“Mom! What the hell was that for?” Scott cried. Jackson sniggered.  
  
“For not telling me. How could you not tell me?”  
  
“What? I don’t --”  
  
“I’ve seen Derek’s... what did you call it? Your Alpha form?” Derek nodded. “When we’re finished with this conversation, I want to see what you’ve been hiding from me.  
  
Scott gulped. “ _Mom_ , can we please not do this now?”  
  
Melissa rolled her eyes. “Okay. Stiles is out of surgery. He’s in recovery now. Somehow, he managed to hold on. He should be fine. We’re just not sure when he’ll wake up. You guys can go in, but not all of you. One at a time.”  
  
“Melissa,” Derek explained. “We all need to be in there. Stiles needs his pack. It’ll help him. He needs to feel our presence.” Melissa looked at him with a thoughtful look on her face. “Fine, but you guys can’t cause any commotion. Stiles is in a very delicate situation right now. If I tell you guys to get out, you need to listen immediately. No arguments.”  
  
The pack agreed and followed her to the room Stiles was in. He was lying down, sleeping peacefully, despite his appearance. The Sheriff sat on one side and held his hand, Derek sat on the other. The others stood around the bed. A tear slid down the Sheriff’s face and dripped down on Stiles’ arm.   
  
“I’m not going to leave his side until he wakes up,” Derek declared. “The rest of you guys will take turns being here. He needs us all, but we can’t all be here 24/7.” He looked at the Sheriff. “We’ll take care of him, I promise.”  
  
The sheriff smiled. He leaned forward and kissed Stiles’ forehead and whispered, “Get better soon, Genim. I’m going to call you Genim until you wake up, because I know how much you hate it. If you want me to stop, wake up. It’s that simple.”  
  
Derek stared at the Sheriff. “Genim?” The Sheriff shrugged. “I never knew why, but my wife insisted he be named Genim. Nobody could really pronounce it right, myself included, so we just called him Stiles.”  
  
Derek chuckled. He reached for Stiles’ other hand and took it into his hands. He rubbed it and said, “What your dad said, Stiles. Wake up soon, please. I’ll be here when you do. We will be.”  
  


\-----------------------------------

  
_**Four Days Later** _   
  
_You and I will never happen._   
  
_No Derek, please... don’t say that. I’m so sorry. I’ll never do that again. Just please don’t be mad. Derek? Please, come back. Don’t leave me. I need you. I need you so bad. I don’t know why._   
  
_You and I will never happen._   
  
_Derek! Don’t! That hurts so much. Don’t, please. I know you need me, because I need you. I want you. I want and need you. So bad._   
  
_I love you._   
  
_What? What did you say?_   
  
_It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have pushed you away. I love you._   
  
_Derek... Do you really mean it?_   
  
_I love you._   
  
He heard something. He strained to hear it. It was getting stronger and stronger. It sounded like... snoring? What?   
  
“...turn off my werewol... ...snoring is getting on my...”   
  
“... just glad he’s sle... really hard for him...”   
  
He could hear voices, but he couldn’t really understand what they were saying. He wanted to know.    
  
_Who’s there? What did you say?_   
  
“...don’t know... ...beat is changing...”   
  
_You guys are so far away... why are you so far? Come to me. Please._   
  
He fought and fought, inching closer to the sounds.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Danny and Lydia were playing Go Fish at the table. Derek was sleeping by Stiles’ side, his head lying on the bed facing Stiles’ head and his arm laid over Stiles’ waist. He was lightly snoring.   
  
“Damn it, I really wish I could turn off werewolf hearing sometimes,” complained Lydia. “That snoring is getting on my nerves.” Danny chuckled and said, “I’m just glad he’s sleeping. It’s been really hard for him. I think all of this has just broken him. If Stiles doesn’t wake up... I don’t know what Derek will do. I don’t think he will ever forgive himself.”   
  
Lydia nodded sadly. “For all of our sakes, I hope he wakes up.”   
  
_thump-thump. thump-THUMP._   
  
Lydia jerked. She looked over at Stiles. “What’s it?” Danny asked. “I don’t know... I think Stiles’ heartbeat is changing. It’s getting faster. Stronger.”   
  
Lydia got up. She walked over to Stiles’ bed and studied him. “Danny, come here. Is it just me, or does it look like his bruises have lightened up a little?”    
  
Danny practically jumped out of his seat. “Yeah, they’re less purple than they used to be. That’s for sure. Is he... healing?”   
  
“Maybe. Derek. Derek, wake up.” When he didn’t stir, Danny shook him. Derek groaned and lifted his head. “What’s it?” He asked groggily.   
  
“His heartbeat’s changed. I think he’s healing. Look at the bruises. They’re lightening up. They’re not as purple as they used to be.” Derek’s eyes widened then narrowed. He got up and scanned Stiles’ face and arms. Then, he put his ear to Stiles’ chest and listened.   
  
“You’re right. His heartbeat is getting stronger. I think he’s waking up.” Derek leaned down and took a deep sniff. “Yeah. I can smell the werewolf in him, it’s just beginning to emerge.” Suddenly, Derek’s head snapped back. “ _Fuck._ ”   
  
“What’s it? What’s wrong?” Danny asked.   
  
“No fucking way. Unbelievable,” Derek stated. Lydia looked at him then back at Stiles and sniffed him as well.   
  
“Oh no...”   
  
“Come on, damn it guys. Don’t leave the human out in the cold. Tell me, what’s wrong?”   
  
Lydia looked at Derek then at Danny. “He smells like an Alpha.”   
  
“What?”   
  
“It makes sense. The Alpha bit him. His pack is dead. He’s the only one left,” Lydia answered. “What does this mean, Derek?”   
  
‘I... I’m not sure. I’ve never heard of a pack with two Alphas. Doesn’t mean it can’t happen, but... I don’t know. Doesn’t matter. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
He could hear Derek’s voice. He was sure of it now.    
  
“You’re right... getting stronger...”   
  
_Derek! Derekderekderek where are you I can’t see you..._   
  
He clawed his way through the darkness. He could see nothing. He could only hear. Then, suddenly, it hit him like gigantic tsunami. His nose opened up.   
  
He could smell.   
  
_Holy fucking shit._   
  
He could smell everything. Death. Blood. Industrial cleaner. People. Food. Everything.   
  
The multitude of smells assaulted him and he had to stop fighting the darkness.    
  
Too much. Too many. Stop it. Stop.   
  
His nose started filtering the different scents. He searched for familiar ones. A strand of scent wafted by and he grabbed at it desperately. _Derek. That smells like Derek._ He grabbed it and embraced it.    
  
He could smell Lydia too. He knew exactly what perfume she always wore. There was someone else too, nearby. He reached for it and gripped it tight. _Danny._   
  
_I’m so close. I hear you. I can smell you. But I can’t see you. Where are you? Why are you hiding from me? Stop hiding, this isn’t fun._   
  
A light appeared in the distance. He peered at it. That was where the sounds and smells were coming from.   
  
_There you guys are. I’m coming._   
  
He pushed away obstacles, squirming through veins of darkness. He slashed at the things that grabbed him from behind. He kicked. He flailed.    
  
The light shone brighter and brighter as he crept closer and closer.   
  
Soon, the light pushed the darkness away and it was getting easier and easier to move. He reached out with one of his arms and startled. He had claws, an arm that was not quite an arm. He wanted to look at it, to understand, but he pushed on.   
  
He reached the light.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Stiles gasped and his eyes flew open, glowing bright purple before fading into his trademark brown eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut again and blinked, trying to stave off the pain as his eyes adjusted to the light. He saw three figures.   
  
“Derek... Danny, Lydia.”   
  
Lydia beamed the biggest smile Stiles had ever seen her smile. He couldn’t help but smile in return.   
  
“Thank god you woke up,” Lydia squealed. “I’m going to call everybody.” She pulled out her cell phone and started dialing.    
  
Danny gazed into Stiles’ eyes, and the moment Stiles returned the gaze, Danny broke down. Tears fell down his cheeks and he leaned over to hug Stiles.   
  
“Don’t you ever do that to us again, okay, Stiles?” Danny chuckled. “I’m so happy you’re okay.” He pulled back and exhaled, then slumped down on the chair that was facing the bed. Stiles smiled. “Sorry Danny. My bad.” Danny only laughed, shaking his head as more tears fell.   
  
Stiles looked over at Derek. Derek was trying his hardest to keep in control, but Stiles could hear his heartbeat pounding and he could see his bottom lip quivering slightly.   
  
“Derek, back there... what did you say?”   
  
“What?” Derek asked, his eyes confused.   
  
“I need to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating... what was the last thing you said to me?”   
  
Derek laughed. “I love you. I said I loved you.”   
  
“Oh... okay. That’s good. That’s really good,” Stiles smiled. “I love you too.”   
  
Derek inhaled sharply and a tear drifted down his right cheek. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m so sorry, I’ll never do it again,” he sobbed. He bent over and rested his forehead on Stiles’ chest and kept repeating, “I’m so sorry.”   
  
Stiles winced at the pressure on his chest, but made no move to push Derek off. Instead, he ran his fingers through Derek’s hair. “It’s fine, Derek. I forgive you. Will you please give me that kiss now?”   
  
Danny grinned as he watched Derek kiss Stiles. A few feet away, Lydia screeched into the phone, “Oh my god! Allison, they're kissing!”   
  
Stiles has died and gone to heaven. That’s the only explanation he has. Derek is actually kissing him. And it’s the most wonderful thing. Their lips brushed lightly and Stiles can taste the salt of his tears on his lips. His tongue darts forward and licks them up and is met by Derek’s tongue. The two tongues lingered then explored each other for a few seconds. Derek started pulling back, but Stiles whined.   
  
“No, don’t stop. I don’t want this to stop. Ever.”   
  
Derek chuckled and rested his forehead on Stiles’ forehead. “I’m not going anywhere. We’re not going to stop doing this. You just need to heal up first. Focus on that,” and Derek ends the sentence with a kiss before he sat down again.   
  
Danny’s mouth’s wide open and his teeth are showing. Stiles suddenly feels a little embarrassed.    
  
“What?”   
  
“Nothing. Nothing at all,” mused Danny. “I’m just really happy for you. So is Lydia.”   
  
“Yeah, I know. I can smell it on you guys,” laughed Stiles. He winced from the soreness. Derek’s expression changed. That was when Stiles knew.   
  
“I’m a werewolf now, aren’t I?”   
  
“Yeah, you are. And since it was the other Alpha that bit you, not me, and we killed them all...”   
  
Stiles’ eyebrows crept closer and he ran that sentence through his mind repeatedly.    
  
_He’s leaving something out... what is it? What does that mean?_   
  
Derek sighed.   
  
“What? I’m not getting it,” Stiles questioned. Derek replied, “You’re an Alpha.”   
  
Stiles’ eyes widened. “What? No, that can’t be, I’ve got to be an Omega. Beta at best. No way am I an Alpha. No way.”   
  
“I know this is going to be really hard, but I’m here. We’re here. We’re going to help you with this. I don’t know how two Alphas within a pack is going to work, but... we’ll make it work.”   
  
“There’s nothing to work out, Derek. You’re my Alpha. That’s it. I’m nobody’s Alpha. I don’t think I even know how to growl properly. I can’t do it like you can.”   
  
“Stiles, you’re still an Alpha --”   
  
“ _No_ , Derek. Don’t. I don’t want to be an Alpha. I submit. Whatever it takes. I submit to you, completely. You are my Alpha.”   
  
Derek cocked his head slightly and smiled. “Okay, Stiles. Okay.”   
  
Melissa McCall peeked into the room and gasped. “Why didn’t any of you tell me he was awake??” Lydia and Danny stammered, but she brushed their replies away. She went straight for Stiles and checked his eyesight with a thin flashlight.    
  
“Looks good. And by that, I mean all of you. The bruises have started clearing up. A lot quicker than they should be.” She glances up to Derek. He smiles and shrugs. Stiles began, “Uhh... luck or something, I guess? Or maybe they weren’t as bad as you thought they were?”   
  
Melissa chuckled. “So, Derek. I assume this means Stiles is a werewolf now? The healing?” Derek nodded. Stiles’ mouth dropped.   
  
“Oh, honey. Close that mouth of yours. I’m going to kick your ass too for keeping this from us.” She turned and walked away. Before she left the room, however, she paused. “I hear you’re the one who helped Scott get a handle of his wolf when he was first bitten... thank you for that.” And with that, she left.   
  
“What the hell?”   
  
Derek smiled an awkward smile. “Things have changed. We had to tell her. And someone else.”   
  
“Who might that be...?” Stiles asked, even though he had a crushing feeling that he knew who.   
  
“Your father.”    
  
Stiles groaned.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The door to Stiles’ room blew open. The Sheriff was standing there, his hand still on the doorknob.    
  
“Dad!”   
  
“STILES,” the Sheriff screamed. His body visibly relaxed and he smiled. “You’re awake.”   
  
“No need to scream, Dad,” Stiles grimaced. “Yeah. I’m up. What’s up?”   
  
The Sheriff stared at his son. “ _What’s up?_ Are you seriously opening with that?”   
  
“Umm... no? Maybe?”   
  
The Sheriff sighed and shook his head and a small smile appeared. “At least now I know you’re okay.” Scott got off the chair nearest to Stiles and offered it to the Sheriff.    
  
“Thanks, Scott,” he said as he sat down. “How are you feeling, son?”   
  
“I’m doing good, considering everything. I’m sorry if I scared you. But yeah, I’m feeling good.”   
  
“I can tell. You look a lot better. Does this mean...?”   
  
“Yeah, Dad. It does.”   
  
“Okay. Okay. Jeez. Okay,” he mumbled. “I thought you said werewolves could heal really fast, Derek? How long will it take before Stiles’ fully healed?”   
  
“I don’t know, Sheriff. His wolf is just waking up, and his body is still recovering, so... At this rate, it’ll probably be a day or two.”   
  
“Oh boy. I’m not really sure how I’m supposed to explain this. A lot of people know you were pretty seriously injured, so how am I supposed to explain it when you walk out of here tomorrow without a single scratch on you?”   
  
“Makeup? Maybe we could create bruises and stuff. Shouldn’t be too hard,” suggested Lydia.   
  
“Werewolves can turn off their healing, right? Like what Peter did,” Scott asked.    
  
Stiles harrumphed. “You think I’m going to stop healing and put myself through this pain on purpose? Hell no.”   
  
“Maybe we can just tell everyone that Stiles went home to recover and we put him under house arrest? Can’t leave the house for a while,” Jackson said. “Nobody’d see him for a while and by the time he would normally have healed, he can go out?”   
  
“Good idea, Jackson,” Danny complimented. “Just one problem. Look at Stiles. Does anyone seriously think a normal human can walk away from that without a single scar? And it’s not like we can hide that from people -- a lot of people have seen him already. The doctors, nurses, and the other officers that came to interview us and the doctors?”   
  
Derek sighed. “No matter what, I don’t think we’ll be able to get out of this easy. Especially with what’s coming.”   
  
“What’s coming?” Stiles asked.   
  
“Right, we haven’t told you yet,” Allison said. And so the pack explained to Stiles what had happened after they found him. They told him about the information they found and the werewolves’ plans.   
  
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Stiles said disdainfully. “Seriously? They’re trying to make a werecity? Why?”   
  
“Who knows?” Derek answered. “Maybe they’re tired of hiding.”   
  
The Sheriff began to interrogate Stiles, “Stiles, when they took you, what did they want? What questions did they ask?”    
  
“Umm, they were mostly making fun of me. Mocking me. They didn’t think a human could really fit in a pack. They did ask me about you though, Derek. They thought you were dead. They really wanted to know who my Alpha was. They wanted to know who else was in the pack.”   
  
“That makes sense,” Danny commented. “If they really are planning on doing what they are, then they’d need to know about us.”   
  
“How much did you tell them?” Jackson asked.   
  
“Nothing.”   
  
“Nothing?” Everyone said in unison. Stiles shook his head. Lydia gaped at him, “Seriously? After everything they did to you, you didn’t tell them anything?”   
  
“Well, I did tell them that my Alpha was Michael J. Fox. One of them actually believed me...”   
  
Silence.    
  
Then everyone erupted into laughter except Derek who just smirked. The laughter lasted for a few minutes and brought some much-needed tears of happiness from the pack. Stiles just smiled the entire time, watching Derek.   
  
“You could have told them _something_ ,” Derek whispered. “You shouldn’t have put yourself through that.”   
  
“Yeah, I had to. I’m not going to give up my pack. What kind of packmate would I be if I did?”   
  
Derek smiled and reached over for Stiles’ hand, took it within his and held tight.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Stiles was standing in front of the Hale house in the dark. There was barely any light. Derek stepped out of the house, closed the door and scrambled down the stairs, carrying a cardboard box. He set it down next to the steps.   
  
“You ready?” Derek asked.  
  
“I guess so. I’m just... not sure _how_ to do it.”  
  
“You can feel the wolf within, right?” Stiles nodded. “Then you just tell your wolf that you want to run. You let it transform for you. I’ll go first. And don’t forget, just let the wolf run. Don't try to control it.”  
  
Derek took off his clothes and put them in the box. He could feel Stiles’ eyes on his ass, he could hear his heartbeat climb and he could smell his arousal.   
  
“Stiles. Eyes off my ass, please.”  
  
“Fuck you. I’ll look if I want. It’s mine.” Derek rolled his eyes and turned around. Stiles whistled, “That’s even better.” Derek laughed and then took off, transforming as he ran.  
  
Stiles gulped. He took his clothes off and tossed them into the box. Derek stopped a few yards into the treeline and looked back.  
  
“Hey! If I can’t look, then you can’t either! Shoo!” Derek growled playfully.   
  
_Okay. So hey, wolf? I wanna run. So... you know. Go ahead. Transform._  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
 _Come on, wolfy! You wanna run with your mate right? Look at that hot wolf out there. Hot sexy Dereky. Let’s go!_  
  
Stiles felt his teeth grow. He went into a jog and saw the fur grow out of his arms, then all of the sudden, his legs cracked and bent backwards and he fell onto his hands. Except they were paws.   
  
He tried to say, “Thank god that doesn’t hurt.” Instead, he said, “Thank grreowrrrr.”   
  
_Okay, no talking now._  
  
His ears and tails sprouted and Stiles isn’t sure he’ll ever get over the feeling of his tail appearing. When he was done transforming, he trotted over to Derek. Derek grinned a wolf grin and took off. Stiles followed close behind, both of them leaping across across fallen logs, ditches and ducked under branches. Sometimes Stiles would get ahead, but Derek would always take over.   
  
_Man, this is freaking amazing. No wonder they're always so happy when they go out running._  
  
The duo ran out all night long. They came across a small stream and Derek stopped to lap up some water.   
  
_He’s so cute when he does that._  
  
Stiles trotted next to Derek and lapped up some water. Derek growled. Stiles growled back, his eyes shining ultraviolet purple, contrasting well with Derek’s crimson eyes. Derek nudged him with his head and Stiles pushed back. Derek leapt and tackled Stiles into the ground and they play-fought. Derek snarled and bit at Stiles, but Stiles would always find a way to get back at him. They scrambled into the stream and splashed each other, then tackled and wrestled. Both of them were completely soaked.  
  
 _I don’t think I’m ever going to go back to being a human. This is too amazing._  
  
They both got out of the stream and shook the excess water off. Derek crept closer to Stiles and nudged his neck with his snout. Stiles laid down onto the ground and rolled onto his back and growled. Derek rubbed his head into Stiles’ belly and worked his way up to his neck, nipping it then licking. Stiles bit on Derek’s ear and pulled him down onto the ground next to him and licked him.  
  
They laid there for a hour, snuggled tightly before they decided to head back home.  
  
It was just daybreak when they arrived. They both transformed back and threw their clothes back on. At least, Stiles did. Derek just put his boxers on.  
  
“That was _amazing_ ,” Stiles declared. “I’m never not doing that again.” Derek grinned and went inside without a word.  
  
“Hey, where are you going? Derek!”  
  
No answer, so Stiles followed him inside. He could hear footsteps upstairs, so he followed up. He entered the room Derek was in and found him lying in his bed and he was holding up the sheet.  
  
“Get in.”  
  
“Uhh... are we having sex?” Stiles panicked. “Dad kind of told me he’d castrate you if we ever did anything before I turned 18, and I kind of like you with your balls intact. Even though I haven’t touched them. I’m pretty sure I like them intact, so --”  
  
“Stiles. Shut up and get in. We’re not having sex.”  
  
“Oh, okay," Stiles said. Then he added, "That's kind of disappointing.”  
  
Derek was lying on his back, laughing as Stiles took his shirt off and climbed in. Derek reached around Stiles and pulled him practically on top of him.  
  
“I thought you said we weren’t having sex?”  
  
“We’re not.”  
  
“What are we --” Derek shut Stiles up by pulling him down for a kiss. Their mouths opened and Stiles moaned. His tongue was being dominated by Derek’s. Derek’s chest rumbled and Stiles molded himself into Derek’s abs.  
  
Stiles’ eyes opened up and they were a brilliant purple, staring into Derek’s red irises.  
  
“I love you.”  
  
“I love you too.”  
  
“Good. Now, go to sleep, Stiles.”  
  
“What, on top of you?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Awesome,” Stiles grinned. He wiggled his body back a bit and buried his head on Derek’s chest, his ear right in the middle, listening to Derek’s heartbeat, his head rising and falling as Derek breathed. Derek wrapped his arms around Stiles. Stiles smiled and closed his eyes.  
  
Derek listened to Stiles’ heartbeat until it stabilized and he was fast asleep. He raked his fingertips through Stiles’ hair lightly and kissed the top of his head. Then, he pulled the sheet over them both and gripped his other arm that was still wrapped around Stiles.  
  
 _I’m never letting you go, Stiles. I promise._  
  
Derek fell asleep with a smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well! I really hope you enjoyed the story. I loved writing it. Thank you all for giving me such positive feedback, I'd have never gotten this done without you guys. 
> 
> This story may be complete, but it's not over. It's the first of a series, called War Zone. I will be continuing the story in the near future!
> 
> Let me know if you enjoyed this story :)


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